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The fastest way to make your house smell like fall is here! Plus, it makes a super easy gift to pass out. This Slow Cooker Apple Butter is everything we need for autumn! This recipe makes 2 pintsโ€“one for you and one for a friend.

Crockpot Apple Butter Recipe. small batch apple butter recipe for two in the slow cooker

Itโ€™s slow cookerย season! And by โ€˜season,โ€™ I mean that Iโ€™m going to pull it out of the cabinet and use it exactly two times. Iโ€™ll make my Momโ€™s beef stew and this slow cooker apple butter recipe, and then it goes back into the cabinet until Spring.

This is the exact crockpot I use. I love it because itโ€™s oval and fits so much!

This is a small batch apple butter recipe that makes 2 pints, or 4 half pints. Itโ€™s just enough apple butter to enjoy (and not get sick of), plusย a jar for a friend.

Ways to use up apples: slow cooker apple butter. So easy!

Ingredients

  • Apples. You need 3 pounds of fresh apples for this crockpot apple butter recipe. Use your favorite local favorites or grab a bag of Honey Crisp or Sugar Bee apples like I do.
  • Honey. I like to make my apple desserts with half honey and half sugar becuases the floral flavor of honey goes really well with the fruit. So, use one-third cup of your favorite honey (orange blossom honey is great here).
  • Sugar. One-third cup of granulated sugar.
  • Cinnamon. We need the classic apple pie spice: one teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
  • Cloves. One-quarter teaspoon of ground cloves is another classic apple pie spice.
  • Allspice. If you have ground allspice in your pantry, use 1/4 teaspoon of it here. If you donโ€™t have, the recipe will be great without it!
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How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Easy crockpot apple butter recipe
  1. First, fill your sink and scrub the apples very well. Then, peel, core and dice them into bite-sized pieces. Place them in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  2. Add the honey, sugar, and spice over the apples in the crockpot, and stir very well.
  3. Set the slow cooker to LOW for 7 hours. After 7 hours, remove the lid, and stir until the apple fall apart. Continue cooking with the lid off for 30-60 minutes, until the apple butter thickens slightly. This keeps for up to 3 weeks refrigerated in air-tight jars.

Substitutions for this apple butter recipe:

  • Sugar โ€“ This recipe is made with half honey and half sugar, because I think it tastes amazing like this. However, I have made it with all honey and all sugar with great results. Just make sure there is 2/3 cup of sweetener for 3 pounds of apples, and it will be delicious.
  • Spices โ€“ If you just have a jar of apple pie spice in the pantry, that is fine! Use 1 1/2 teaspoons of apple pie spices instead of the cinnamon, cloves and allspice here.

If youโ€™re looking for a recipe to use this, try my small apple butter cake made in a bread loaf pan. This slow cooker apple butter recipe really shines in that cake! I also have an apple butter cookies recipe that is so popular!

Homemade apple butter recipe, made easy in the crockpot!

Other Easy Crockpot Desserts

Yield: 2 pints

Slow Cooker Apple Butter (small-batch!)

Woman peeling apples next to a slow cooker.

Slow cooker apple butter, small batch style. Recipe makes just 2 pints of apple butter.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds of your favorite apples
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)*

Instructions

  1. Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
  2. Add the honey, sugar, and spices to the crockpot, and stir well.
  3. Cook on LOW for 7 hours.
  4. Then, remove the lid, and stir until the apple fall apart. Continue cooking with the lid off for 30-60 minutes, until the apple butter thickens slightly.
  5. Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Notes

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 84Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 0g

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About Christina Lane

Christina Lane is the author of 5 cookbooks all about cooking and baking for two. She has scaled down hundreds of recipes into smaller servings so you can enjoy your favorite dishes without the leftovers! Valentine's Day is her favorite holiday.

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45 Comments

  1. Max Bonek says:

    I am in the middle of making this recipe and am stuck. Is it 3# apples before coring and peeling? I weighed mine after and am afraid I donโ€™t have enough spices in it. Help!

    1. Christina Lane says:

      Hi Max!
      Itโ€™s 3 pounds BEFORE coring and peeling! :)

  2. Kourtney says:

    Would it be OK if I prepared the apples and spices the night before, and then pressed the ON button on my Crock Pot before leaving for work the next morning?

    1. Christina Lane says:

      Hmmโ€ฆIโ€™m a little worried that leaving the apples out overnight would make them brown. But I guess since theyโ€™re turning brown while cooked, itโ€™s probably fine! Iโ€™m not sure about this from a food safety standpoint though. But I know exactly what you meanโ€“it would be nice to prep at night and then come home from work to this deliciousness! Why not let the crockpot run overnight and wake up to deliciousness? I hope you enjoy it :)

  3. Emily Martin says:

    I bought some Red Delicious apples off of guys selling them from a truck in our neighborhood. I wanted something to do with them, and found this! Not crazy about RDs, they can often be dry and mealy. So I took some, added a Pink Lady and a Granny Smith and went to work. In my multi cooker, they came out beautifully. And yes, folks, leave them in as long as you can, because they end up a dark caramel color, which is very pretty. Being lazy, and also loving skins and peels on almost everything (not bananas :-) I did not remove the skins. Lo and behold, that was no big deal. I think I picked maybe 3 little pieces of peel out of the pot. I tossed the whole shmear into the blender after they were all cooked. Amazingโ€”the peel helped thicken the consistency and I was left with this spicy, creamy deliciousness. Honestly, my past with apple butter has been โ€˜mehโ€™. But I figured making my own would be much better. Never going back to any kind of store bought!

  4. Ethel says:

    Hi
    Second time I am making this it was so good as was the cake made with it. Please can you tell me if this can be frozen.
    Thanks
    Ethel

    1. Christina Lane says:

      Sure, freeze flat in bags and defrost in the fridge :)

  5. Mary Ellen says:

    love this recipe โ€“ and your post, too! Could this be doubled? I have a large crackpot. Thanks in advance!

  6. Kimberly Miller says:

    Oh my goodness this recipe is absolutely delicious! I changed it up a bit though. I used brown sugar instead of white also I used Granny Smith apples. I also added a 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. I added a bit more brown sugar after tasting considering Granny Smith apples are tart. I remember my Auntโ€™s using apple cider vinegar to bring the tartness well Granny Smith is perfect in my opinion.

  7. Annie says:

    Can you can this in a boiling water bath? Or pressure cooker?